Dear friends, why do you make your house like Hell?

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("Pleasant Readings for the Home" Author unknown)

A traveler one day called at a cottage to ask for a drink of water. Entering, he found the parents cursing and quarreling, with the children trembling and crouched in a corner. Wherever he looked, he saw only marks of degradation and misery. Greeting the family, he asked them, "Dear friends, why do you make your house like Hell?"

"Ah, Sir," said the man, "you don't know the life and trials of a poor man! Do what I can--everything goes wrong!"

The stranger drank the water, and then said softly (as he noticed a Bible in a dark and dusty corner), "Dear friends, I know what would help you, if you could find it. There is a treasure concealed in your house--search for it."

And so he left them.

At first the cottagers thought it a jest, but, after a while they began to reflect. The whole family tried to find the "treasure"--but in vain. Increasing poverty brought only more quarrels, discontent, and strife.

One day, as the woman was thinking upon the stranger's words--her eye fell on the old Bible. It had been a gift from her mother, but since her death long ago--it had been unheeded and unused.

A strange foreboding seized her mind. Could the stranger have meant the Bible? She took it from the shelf, opened it, and found the verse inscribed on the title-page, in her mother's handwriting, "The law of your mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver." It cut her to the heart. "Ah!" thought she, "this is the treasure which we have been seeking!" How her tears fell fast upon the pages!

From that time she read the Bible every day, and taught the children to pray--but without her husband's knowledge. One day he came home, as usual, quarrelsome and in a rage. Instead of meeting his angry words with angry replies--she spoke to him kindly and with gentleness. "Husband," said she, "we have sinned grievously. We have ourselves to blame for all this misery, and we must now lead a different life."

He looked amazed. "What are you talking about?" was his exclamation.

She brought the old Bible, and, sobbing, cried, "Here is the treasure. See, I have found it!"

The husband's heart was moved. She read to him of the Lord Jesus, and of His love. She continued to read the Scriptures daily, as she sat with the children around her, thoughtful and attentive.

So time went on.

It was a year later that the stranger returned that way. Seeing the cottage, he remembered the circumstances of his visit, and thought he would call and see this family again. He did so, but he would scarcely have known the place--it was so clean, so neat, so well ordered. He opened the door, and at first thought he was mistaken, for the family came to meet him so kindly, with the peace of God beaming upon their faces.

"How are you, my friends?" said he.

Then they recognized the stranger--and for some time they could not speak. "Thanks, thanks, dear Sir--we have found the treasure which you spoke of! Now the blessing of God dwells in our house--and His peace in our hearts!"

So they said--and their entire condition, and the happy faces of their children, declared the same more plainly!

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